(Originally published February 2018)
These high-end whites are typical of what I found in my visits for 2016: fresh wines often with good energy that are typical of their terroirs.
These high-end whites are typical of what I found in my visits for 2016: fresh wines often with good energy that are typical of their terroirs.
2016 Meursault 1er Cru Perrières
Drouhin’s Perrières is lemony and mineral in the nose. The mouth shows typical Perrières tension with lemony fruit. The wine is light on the palate and approachable already. Harvested 19-25 September. (92-95)
2016 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Embazées
The Chassagne-Embazées features stony notes in the nose. The mouth has power but also elegance and is clear and fresh with citric flavors. Harvested 1 October. 92+/A
2016 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Marquis de Laguiche
Although Chassagne was not hit by the frost they way Meursault was, there was some damage here, resulting in a crop down about 40% from a full harvest. The nose is buttery and stony. The mouth is medium-weight with buttery flavors, clarity, and length. It is a beautiful, elegant wine. Harvested 23-29 September. (92-95)
2016 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Folatières
The Folatières is opulent and creamy with mineral peach fruit. The wine has purity and length and is light on the palate. Harvested 24 September. (91-94)
2016 Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches blanc
On the same quality level, the flagship Beaune-Clos des Mouches has stony aromas. The mouth is stony and elegant with good penetration, liveliness, structure, and length. It should be an excellent wine. Harvested 23-29 September. (92-95)
2016 Corton-Charlemagne Propriétés de la Famille Drouhin
This Corton-Charlemagne is from vines that the Drouhin family owns; there is also a separate négociant Corton-Charlemagne that I did not taste. This wine has lemon fruit, slight sucrosity, length, good tension, clarity of flavors, and a slight creaminess. It is most promising Corton-Charlemagne. (93-96)
2016 Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche
Producers on the Chassagne side of Montrachet essentially had no crop in 2017, but those on the Puligny side, where Laguiche’s holding is, fared relatively well. Production here was half a normal crop, but it required three harvests due to different maturity of vines planted in different eras. This is a great wine with very a very stony, mineral nose and a mouth that is stony, penetrating, pure, and long. Harvested 26-30 September. (95-98)